Perseus protected his face with the spear's firm-looking shaft. If Jason decided to shoot with that iron-black revolver, at least he would survive the first shot. Then he would rush forward and finish him off with one clean strike.
Paul held the two-handed axe with his forehead's blood vessels throbbing as if he were in pain. His eyes were full of anger that was directed at Jason.
Jason's hand was getting sweaty as two peak System Apprentices focused their pressure on him. He also remembered that he only had one bullet left in the chamber, causing cold sweat to drench his back. The worst thing was that he didn't know whether they were also faceless creatures or the real ones.
'This is bad. First, I didn't find any other people except faceless creatures. Now, both Perseus and Paul have appeared, yet they could be the real ones. I just lack information regarding the ghoul's illusionary world. Not many survive once trapped, so there isn't that much info.'
Jason thought quickly, and when he was done, he holstered the long-barreled revolver that was in his hand. He decided to speak to them, like he did with Tina. The difficult part was that none of them really knew each other. They only talked during the campfire session.
This would be far easier for guild members who had participated in the same raids multiple times. If Golden Lion had entered this illusionary world, Jason was certain that they would have finished the ghoul by now. Unfortunately, they were strangers.
'Perhaps this is why the ghoul targeted us. Some creatures are smart, allowing them to show their cunning nature.'
"What is your guild name?" Jason asked Perseus. However, the answer wasn't what he wanted.
Perseus scoffed. "So that you can trick other party members with this information? Good try, ghoul!"
"Fine. My name is Jason Grandhart. You must know that by checking out my ID back in the Adventurer's Guild." Jason decided to share this valuable information about himself. If he was killed and one of them transformed into him, the real Perseus would be in grave danger. However, he had to gamble.
He also didn't dare to lie. Perseus and Paul might attack him instantly if he was caught lying. Therefore, there was only one safe option.
Perseus turned silent, and his brows tightened.
'That was correct information. He is actually not ghoul? How did he survive this long while Mark and Lydia didn't? Did he not encounter those faceless men? He did; otherwise, he wouldn't act like this if he didn't.'
Perseus let out a breath and slightly relaxed his muscles. "You may ask something about me."
Jason's expression relaxed. Then he glanced at Paul briefly before turning back to Perseus. He believed that Perseus had already confirmed that Paul was the real one.
Paul stood on the sidelines while listening closely and observing the way Jason acted. How his lips moved, the time it took for him to blink, and how he behaved.
"What is my rank?" Jason asked calmly.
Perseus didn't hesitate as he answered. "Non-Systemer."
The tense atmosphere slowly disappeared after both answered the questions.
"What happened here?" Perseus asked while kneeling on the ground. There were scratches and a few cracks. Also, greenish blood had seeped deeply into the floor. However, both fake Tina's and another faceless creature's corpses had disappeared. The ghoul seemed to be cleaning off traces.
"Those faceless creatures attacked me." Jason answered and flipped over his bag before taking a water bottle and downing it. His words caught Perseus off-guard.
"You survived? How? Did you run away?"
While drinking, Jason shook his head. He then put the cork back on the bottle, stored it back in the bag, and turned to the curious Perseus.
"They don't have very thick skin. One bullet to the head is enough to kill them." Jason didn't plan to explain the battle process thoroughly because, given the look of contempt Perseus had back then, he would never believe it.
Perseus glanced at the holstered revolver and caressed the shaft of his spear thoughtfully. He had already fought those creatures and knew that they weren't that strong. F-ranked creatures at best. They couldn't have similar strength to the original ghoul. Otherwise, if a ghoul could create an army of D-ranked creatures, it would be ridiculous.
'If one or two attacked him, he could survive with that revolver. I guess he was lucky enough to survive this long. Now, we have to find an exit.' Perseus turned to his bag and unpacked all the unimportant stuff. There were plenty of books, weights, and wooden logs. The weight of the bag was reduced drastically.
As he hung it over his shoulder, he turned to Jason and said. "Paul and I were trying to find the exit. Since we found each other, I am sure that the ghoul's influence over the illusionary world is getting weaker. It could be because of the faceless creatures we killed."
Jason glanced at the pile of books, weights, and wooden logs. His expression didn't really change since he knew about Perseus' intention of hazing him. Perseus was a professional realm adventurer, who knew to take only absolutely necessary material to other realms.
Jason didn't take it to heart and nodded at Perseus. "I agree. We should look for more faceless creatures, kill them, and the illusionary world might break. That might be our way out."
Perseus looked at him in surprise, then he nodded in approval. "Exactly, that is the plan. We are bound to encounter the faceless creatures as long as we walk down this hallway. I noticed that they reside in paintings and can't hide anywhere else. We should find more of those paintings, then destroy them."
After retrieving his bag, Jason followed after Perseus as they began to walk down the hallway. Paul walked slightly further back with his two-handed axe. Perseus and Jason thought that he was simply cautious of an incoming faceless attack. It could also mean that he wasn't still trusting both of them enough to lower his guard. It didn't hurt to be careful.
After walking further ahead, they came into the fighting scene. The smelly green blood dripped down the aging walls, with the paint slowly but surely peeling off. There were also the spiderweb-like cracks, which were, strangely enough, getting repaired at a slow pace. But all the faceless corpses were gone!
"Empty paintings..." Perseus noticed the empty valley paintings and then concluded that they died here. He glanced at Jason briefly before returning his gaze to the front. There was a surprising amount of blood that surprised even him. He wasn't sure if killing just two faceless creatures could have caused it. Unless he intentionally mangled their corpses.
Paul looked at the scene with anger hidden in the depths of his eyes. However, he kept his calm and composed expression while looking at the back of Jason's head. His fingers wrapped around the two-handed axe's shaft as he tightened the grip.
"Have you tried to break through the walls or the floor in search for an exit?" Jason asked Perseus after they continued walking. He also thought about testing whether it was possible to destroy this illusionary world. Before trying, he happened to meet with a fake Tina, and then the rest was history.
"I did." Perseus replied with a shake of his head. "I only came across a mountain wall. This illusion is taking place in the Dark Dungeon. In the real world, we are probably still standing still near the entrance, looking like frozen statues."
'So, this is taking place inside our minds. If we die here, will we die in real life? Probably our minds would break, and we would become mindless dolls. This is indeed the work of a ghoul. The entire dungeon might be enclosed from the outside world. The ghoul can't leave this illusionary world; otherwise, it would break and we would be free. Therefore, he can't go to our real bodies and feast as it wishes.'
Jason sighed. This was the reason the ghoul wanted to kill everyone before leaving. It would then go find their mindless, doll-like bodies and eat them. Fortunately, ghouls were solitary beings. They never worked with fellow ghouls. Otherwise, their threat level would be much higher, and powerhouses of System Lord rank would have to come to wipe them out.
Perseus then frowned as he turned to Paul and nonchalantly asked. "Paul, is your head still hurting? Do you want medicine from my bag?"
'His head is hurting?' Jason frowned and glanced at Paul.
The hairs on Paul's neck stood up. But he didn't show anything out of the ordinary and innocently waved sideways.
"I am fine now. Thank you."
Perseus nodded and turned back to the hallway. He wanted Paul to stay in his best shape because, after leaving the illusionary world, they still had to kill the ghoul. It was dangerous to leave it be, and the rewards for killing it would be sweet. They had accepted the mission of the Dark Dungeon, which offered gold for trouble, but they were also allowed to keep the ingredients they found.
The person who gave out the mission wanted to clear the Dark Dungeon before sending his harvesters to gather ingredients. The Dark Dungeon was the only dangerous place in this 10-klick territory. Without it, even System Apprentices would be able to come here to kill the creatures, return to the person who gave out this mission, and possibly work as a merchant with the ingredients they found.
Jason picked up his pace slightly until he was walking beside Perseus. The spear-wielding man turned to Jason, who was slightly taller than him and had a raised eyebrow.
"Paul was hurt? From which areas." Jason whispered with barely enough volume for Perseus to hear. Paul was walking five meters behind them, but it was still possible to hear them if he perked up his ears. Therefore, Jason planned to ask quickly before Paul realizes that something was wrong.
Perseus heard the hushed words and frowned. He contemplated the question. He then realized that Jason was suspicious of Paul for some reason. But then he remembered that Paul never proved to Jason that he was real and not one of the faceless.
He then answered with a similarly hushed tone.
"I saw him rubbing his head a few times as if he had a headache. Then once he rubbed his thigh, he even had to stop walking for several seconds before he became better, I guess. Then, he once groaned in pain, maybe because of the headache again, I am not sure."
Jason's heart started pounding against his chest. His hand neared the holster while his senses grew tense. He then asked.
"What did you ask Paul? Are you sure that he is not faceless?"
Perseus frowned and then said. "I inquired about the Golden Lion's symbol. He answered perfectly, describing how the symbol looked."
'That is far too vague. The name is already a big hint!' Jason cried out. He resisted the urge to facepalm since there must be reason for Perseus to believe only after that. "Anything else?"
"No, I had reason to believe him." Perseus answered.
Jason's face grimaced, and he then remembered. He looked at Perseus, who was missing his cloak, which he had worn before. "Your cloak. Where is it?"
"I lost it." Perseus answered it with a slight hint of anger. To acquire a cloak in the Golden Lion guild was something to be proud of. It only belonged to core members. He was the only one with cloak as System Apprentice rank in the whole guild.
'That guild had a symbol of a golden lion. Maybe... is it possible? I need to ask more questions!'
"What are you two talking about?" He didn't know when, but Paul had appeared next to Perseus with his usual innocent smile. "Why are you two whispering? Shouldn't we share the information so we can leave this godforsaken land."
Perseus flinched slightly before smiling. "Nothing important. He asked about the Golden Lion guild."
"Oh? I would love to know about it too. Y'know, I am actually a big fan!" Paul asked with excitement, as if he were a child who was eager to know more about stories.
"Maybe once we have left." Perseus waved him off. "We should find one of those paintings and see whether it would allow us to escape this illusionary world."
Paul acted disappointed but didn't ask anymore. Instead, he continued to walk close to Perseus while not looking at Jason.
'Maybe... this "Paul" found the cloak, therefore able to describe the symbol since that same symbol was at the back of the cloak. Also, the Golden Lion was a clear hint that the symbol found in the cloak was the same.'
Jason felt an itch in his hand but resisted the urge. Alternatively, he turned to look at Paul with a smile. Perseus was between them, but it didn't bother him.
"So, Paul. What do you plan to do after you return to your home with the reward money?" Jason asked with a sincere expression.
Perseus glanced at him but held his tongue. He also started to feel slightly skeptical because of Jason's tone, but he didn't dare jump to a conclusion. His pride didn't allow him to consider the possibility of a mistake. However, there was a nagging feeling that perhaps... perhaps...
"First, level up from the ingredients we receive. Then, use that money to treat me to a nice dinner in an expensive restaurant." Paul said with a hungry expression, as if he were imagining the feast.
'Ordinary and very safe answer.' Jason nodded and then asked more. "Are you also planning to join Perseus' Golden Lion? I am sure you have proved to Perseus that you have what it takes to be part of the glorious lions."
Perseus stayed silent while nodding.
Paul's smiling expression didn't vanish. However, his mind was running in overdrive. He was observing Jason's and Perseus' facial features. He had a feeling that something was wrong.
"Haha, I don't think I have what it takes." Paul answered humbly.
"No need to be so humble. As Perseus said back in the Adventurer's Guild, the members who show great capabilities have the chance to join the Golden Lions. I am sure you have impressed him enough."
Perseus' face froze for a moment before he realized what Jason was trying to do. He was creating a trap for Paul, like a spider luring its prey. He listened in astonishment. He had vastly underestimated Jason's cunning mind!
Paul hadn't answered yet. There were several keywords that he felt wary of and didn't dare answer hastily. The keywords were "Perseus said" and "join the Golden Lions".
It could be a trap. If Perseus hadn't said anything like that, he would have taken the bait. However, if he had, and he answered wrong, the trap would be laid before him. It was a multi-layered trap, and his next answer would be crucial. He also couldn't delay the answer too long, or it would be very suspicious!
Seeing Paul hesitate, Perseus' fingers tightened around the spear. He noticed that his position was very unfortunate. He wished he could move further back, but it would be far too suspicious. He wasn't sure whether Paul had realized the trap or if he was going to answer the question correctly.
As the clockhand ticked down on Jason's silver wristwatch, Paul answered with a forced smile.
"Haha, I can't remember him saying that. However, if he did, I would be glad to join the glorious lions!"
He answered with the safest option. The stress could have made him forget something trivial like that.
However...
'That ain't right! I saw Paul's eyes brighten significantly when I mentioned that back in the Adventurer's Guild. He was definitely eager to join the Golden Lions. He wouldn't forget something like that. That means...' Perseus' pupils shrank.
He then whipped the spear around and drove the spear's blade towards Paul's face. Next to him, Jason pulled a revolver from the holster. He directed the iron-black revolver at Paul's face and pulled the trigger!
Instantly, attacks from both Perseus and Jason rained down on Paul!